Chapter 575 The Ritual
As Vale and his companions left the Vampire's castle, a ritual in a distant land had started.
In the northern part of the Millton Kingdom, a large gathering of hundreds of people dressed in black robes could be spotted chanting in an ancient language.
They stood in orderly rows in front of a towering stone statue that bore a striking resemblance to a demonic figure.
For nearly an hour, they chanted prayers and offered up valuable materials, the worth of which could easily exceed a million zen.
Soon, they reached the end of their prayer.
"Oh, mighty one, from the depths of the unknown, we implore you to grace us with your presence. Bring forth your wisdom and power, and bestow upon us the gifts of chaos. We offer our sacrifices as a testament to our allegiance. Hear our call and manifest before us!"
Following the conclusion of their intense prayer, the members of the cult dressed in black robes simultaneously collapsed to the ground, creating an eerie and foreboding atmosphere.
Sometime after this, otherworldly energy began to permeate the surroundings, signaling the imminent arrival of the mysterious entity they had been invoking.
Not far from this unsettling scene, another group of individuals, also garbed in black robes adorned with a goat's head symbol, gazed at the stone statue with intense anticipation.
After a few moments, a monumental crack in the fabric of space materialized beneath the statue, and a multitude of entities emerged.
These otherworldly beings seemed human, except for the prominent presence of horns upon their heads.
"They're here…" One of them muttered as they observed the individuals.
They soon glanced at each other as they silently agreed to welcome them.
***
At the forefront of the group of entities that had just arrived, one figure stood out with two black horns adorning his head and fiery red hair.
He had striking white skin, handsome visage, and discernible fangs that added to his enigmatic presence. Clad in a robe that exuded an aura of demonic power, he surveyed the collapsed individuals in black robes with a bemused expression.
"What do we have here?" He murmured upon seeing the fallen cult members.
At this time, the spatial crack behind them had also closed, confirming that only 16 of them had been summoned into this realm. Then, his piercing gaze shifted to the approaching figures.
These figures were the ten black-robed men who had been observing from a distance, and they hastened to greet the newly arrived entities.
As they drew near, they swiftly fell to their knees and addressed the entities with reverence.
"Welcome, Demon Saints! We have eagerly awaited your arrival…" They proclaimed, their voices resonating with deference and anticipation.
"Oh? Interesting... So you know about us? Who are you, and why did you summon us?" The Demon Saint asked with an arrogant tone. He seemed to be testing the humans in front of him.
The ten black-robed people were shocked by his question. They thought he would be pleased by their worship. They did not expect him to sound hostile.
They quickly tried to explain.
"We are your loyal followers, Demon Saints. We are the members of the Order of Fatality. We have been praying to you and waiting for you for a long time. We want to serve you and help you... To be exact, we want to join you in your glorious mission."
The Demon Saint didn't know whether to laugh at their words as none of them had such a glorious mission.
However, if they were summoned for a specific reason, they could guess what was going on.
"Glorious mission? Hmm… Are you telling me that there's a living Immortal in this realm?" The Demon Saint asked curiously.
At this question, the others behind him finally reacted.
***
In the Arcane Cloud Tower situated near the capital city of the Millton Kingdom, Odessa, the esteemed Royal Mage, sat in a cross-legged position, attentively overseeing the Core of the Tower.
Her fair complexion seemed to radiate a soft luminescence in the muted light of the chamber.
Adorned with intricate magical accessories, including ornate amulets and rings adorned with ancient runes, she exuded an aura of wisdom and nobility, befitting her esteemed position.
Her Arcanist Robe draped gracefully around her, bearing the symbols of her station as a custodian of Ancient Knowledge and Guardian of Lost Arcane Arts.
'Mhmm?'
Odessa furrowed her brows as she felt something off about the Core's pulsation of energy.
Her Arcane Tower served not only as a center for learning and honing magical skills but also as a vital shield safeguarding the surroundings of the capital.
Any reaction from the Core could be related to their safety.
Suddenly, the aura it was emitting started getting stronger.
The Tower's Core underwent a brief and unsettling upheaval.
"What's going on? Why are you reacting like that if we're not under attack…" Odessa was confused, as such anomalous behavior from the Core typically signified the detection of a looming ominous threat.
However, the disturbance didn't last long, as if it was nothing more than a momentary malfunction.
Of course, Odessa wouldn't leave it at that.
She was perturbed by this unusual occurrence, so she swiftly sought the counsel of the Tower's Seers to unravel the mystery.
After a consultation with the Seer, a chilling prophecy was revealed to her…
"The realm that was long sealed, shall soon yawn open, unleashing a tide of unrelenting chaos that shall engulf the entire continent. From the depths of darkness, ancient powers shall rise, casting the realm into an era of turmoil and strife. The balance of magic and the fates of all shall be put to the ultimate test in a cataclysmic struggle for dominion."
***
As Odessa unearthed this foreboding menace, a multitude of eminent Arcanists across the continent had also come to the same alarming realization.
The venerable heads of the Twelve Arcane Paths, the esteemed leaders of the Orthodox Churches, the influential figures governing the Arcanist Guilds, and the sensible guardians of the Arcane Bureau all became acutely aware that the facade of tranquility was on the brink of shattering.
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